At the close of 2012, BD reported on two major public realm projects in London — the South Bank “missing link” and Crossrail street level improvement schemes (News December 21).
What these share is the need for “inclusive design” as a fundamental expectation.
Inclusive design means that everyone can benefit from the built environment even if they are disabled, elderly or simply accompanied by small children. Yet it rarely features in BD, either as a design benchmark or as a discipline to be taken seriously.
In the 21st century, public buildings and public realm projects are expected to be inclusive by design, not only as a condition of public funding, but to secure public endorsement and goodwill. Might I encourage BD to give some exposure to this critical subject?
David Bonnett
London N16
Postscript
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